KYLE PITTS: The best player in the entire draft class
The 2021 draft might feature an unprecedented run on quarterbacks at the top, but the best player in the class is tight end Kyle Pitts. The Florida standout is a gold-jacket talent with a combination of size (6-foot-6, 245 pounds), speed (unofficial 4.44-second 40-yard dash) and skill that should make him the top prospect on every draft board in the league.
Before you @ me advocating for Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson or another quarterback as the undisputed No. 1 prospect in the class, I would ask you to view Pitts as a truly rare talent on par with the likes of Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones and A.J. Green in their respective primes. Those three pass catchers were transcendent playmakers who ranked as immediate standard-bearers at the receiver position upon entry into the league. Despite facing marquee cornerbacks and double coverage, they were able to dominate the opposition, and their production reflected it.
That trio's instant success can be attributed to superior physical tools and refined skills. Johnson, Jones and Green dwarfed most defensive backs while also possessing the speed and burst to run past cover men on vertical routes. Also, they all displayed exceptional hand-eye coordination and ball skills to win 50-50 balls down the field, making it impossible to defend them on the island.
As I studied Pitts, I saw similar attributes in the 20-year-old pass catcher. He overwhelms defenders on the perimeter with his size, speed and athleticism. Pitts runs routes like a wide receiver, but he utilizes his NBA power forward-like frame to bully safeties and cornerbacks in space. He renders them helpless in one-on-one matchups, and defensive coordinators are forced to adopt radical tactics to slow him down, particularly in the red zone.
Considering the mismatches Pitts creates out wide and in the slot against second-level defenders (linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks), it is easy to see why creative offensive coordinators would covet his skills as an offensive weapon. Travis Kelce, Darren Waller and George Kittle have given opponents fits over the past few years with their unique talents, and we have seen others -- like Zach Ertz, Jordan Reed and Evan Engram -- earn Pro Bowl honors as jumbo wide receivers playing the "Y" position.
In a position that's rapidly changing due to the extraordinary skill sets of some hybrid pass catchers, it is easy to envision Pitts rewriting the job description as a game-changer with five-star talent and ability.